Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Barring any last minute changes, members of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, would take to the streets of Abuja today, to register their discontent at the alarming rate of insecurity and alleged bad governance in Nigeria.
It is expected that similar protest would hold in all the Catholic Dioceses across the country and at various levels, to, perhaps, reawaken government consciousness to socio-economic and political decadence, as well as insecurity in the country.
It was gathered that the Abuja peaceful procession/protest will start from the National Ecumenical Center and terminate at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Church, Garki.
A statement by the Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu, said the protest is mainly to honour two catholic priests and other faithful who were killed last month in a Catholic Church in Benue State, by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The two catholic priests identified as Rev. Fr. Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, alongside 17 others were said to be celebrating early morning mass when the herdsmen invaded the church and unleash terror on them.
They would be buried today, at Sesugh Maria pilgrimage centre, Ayati, Benue State.
Fr. Madu said the burial is a catalyst for the nationwide prayer procession/protest, while the primary intention is to protest the unending killing of Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents in different parts of the country. The church is particularly concerned about alleged nonchalant attitude of government to the murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen, as well as the lukewarm attitude/response of government to the repeated calls for a proactive measure on the issue of security of life and property of Nigerians.
It, thus, advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019, and urged him to steps aside to save Nigeria from imminent national crisis that could snowball into war.